Thursday, November 29, 2007

I thought I (Boron) had played a blunder free game, but my illusions were shattered when I looked at it yesterday.

I was setting up the possibility of a discovered attack on the knight, but after 33. Qe8,

I didn't play the obvious 33...Nf6, which just wins the knight Don't ask me why, I must have had a hallucination. I played 33...Re7 instead. Jay replied 34. Qc6. I in turn played the howler, 34...Qd4 ?? which fails to 35. Qc2+ followed by 36. Nc6 winning an exchange. Jay was very short of time however and did not see it and played 35. Qd6. I shortly won the b pawn and White eventually ran out of time.

Grand Prix - Group B

Pottinger - Lauritson 0-1

Black got a terrific position out of the opening and was piling on the pressure. Carl resisted and after 19...Rc4 had an interesting move available.

20. Qe7+ ,however it is objectively not much better than the move played, 20. Qb3.White lost a piece after 24. Qb3 (Qd1 apparently holds..covering the rook and also threatening Ra1.) and soon the game.

Silva - Van Wyk 0-1

Black declined a shot to win a pawn 15...Bxh2+ 16. Kxh2 Qc7+.Black eventually won the a pawn and a classic extra outside passer endgame arose that still gives White a chance to draw. Position after 44. ... Rb2+.

White played 43. Kd3 and after ...Rxf2White has a challenge to draw. If 43. Kf3, Black has to exhibit a lot of technique to win.

Grand Prix - Section C

Booth- Liu 0-125. g4 was the last mistake, 25. Kg1 may hold some chances for drawing.

Wiebe - Gannon 1-0Black got into early opening problems and never recovered.

Lorne Gibbons - Aaron Green 0-1Nimzovich talked about jumping off squares (I'll replace this with his terminology when I find my copy of 'My System"). Check out the e3 square in this game.

Mike Shpan Memorial

Mundwiler - Schulz 1-0

I think Black should have exchanged bishops on d4 on his terms instead of allowing White to exchange on c5. 22...Qh6 looks strange and is in fact a blunder. After Les' 24. Qf5 it's all over.

Fromme - Greenberg 1-0I think the strategic error here was Blacktrading his knight for the bad bishop on e2, although if followed up with 24...Qe8 instead of 24...Qc8, there are some interesting tactical possibilities.

Kaptsan - Hanrahan 1-0

I thought this game had drawn written all over it, but Black started to drift with 21...Ba8. I would think that taking possession of the e-file was mandatory. White soon after played Re7 and won.

Rutter - Atem 0-1

My computer engine was screaming for White to play d5 on moves 9 to 14 and then it was too late as Black played it ! The position eventually bust open in Black's favour and

After 29...Nxc3Blair missed a big chance with the zwichenzug (in-between move) 30. Rf1 (no exclam) and White wins easily. Instead Blair played Qxc3 and fell into a mating net.

Kwiatek - Kong 1-0

Very nice combination by Jordan. See Exclam ! site for full details.

Jim Green-Kernetsky DRAW

The King's Indian Attack didn't. Both players proved they have seen this before.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Boron- Khedkar 1-0Black had a crushing position, when White decided to bail out, going down an exchange, but avoiding immediate danger. Jay gave back the exchange for a pawn, but White now had good drawing chances. Later, Jay blundered an exchange and resigned, although White has some work to do in the final position.

Grand Prix Group B

Lauritson - Pottinger 1-0Black dropped the exchange and had no chances for counterplay after swapping queens.

Van Wyk - Silva 1-0Black self-pinned his knight was was indefensible.

Grand Prix Group C

Gannon - Wiebe DRAWBlack was up a passed b pawn , but was reluctant to push it forward until it was too late.White eventually infiltrated deep into the Black position and after move 56 ...

Missed the win with 57. Qf6+. He played 57. Qa8+ Qc8 58. Qa5+ Ke7, but did not play Nc7+ and Nxb5. Perhaps time trouble was a factor.

Liu - Booth 1-0Looked like an interesting endgame, but the game score fails me at move 18. If either player reads this please submit the game score to Alex Nikouline.

Grand Prix Group D

Gibson - Magnusson 0-1The players took turns winning pieces.

Aaron Green - Lorne Gibbons DRAWIf the game score is correct (there are some moves missing), White is winning.

Mike Shpan MemorialSchulz - Fromme DRAWIn the final position, it looks like White has chances for a win. Perhaps time was a factor.

Kong - Mundwiler 0-1These players went 37 consecutive move pairs in the middlegame without any captures. Black finally broke through (although the computer prefers 67. ...e4) just as White lost on time.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Grand Prix Group AKhedkar - Sam Lipnowski 0-1Black won on time - According to the gamescore, White is winning easily.Either the game score is incorrect, or Black played a move like 33...h5 knowing White only had seconds left.

Grand Prix Group BPottinger - Van Wyk DRAWWhen I left the U, I thought Carl had a clear edge, despite the opposite colour bishops.

After 30...g5I like the idea the of exchanging on g5 and ending up with two passers. The key in this type of position for White is not to exchange rooks. However, the rooks were exchanged on f4 and Joseph held the draw.

Silva - Lauritson 0- 1

White missed a golden opportunity after 15...Be7 (it was on d6)When White moves the queen, there will be a discovered attack on the black queen.Where to move the queen?

Silva played 16. Qc3 which is harmless, and Black can play Qc7. What move would have taken that square away ? 16. Qe5 wins material. If 16...Qe8 or Bd7 then 17. Bb5... note that the Knight on f6 is pinned as there is a mate on g7.

Friday, November 9, 2007

I am not going to comment too heavily on the Grand Prix games while the tournament is in progress as the pairings are known and I may inadvertently provide hints to weaknesses.

Group A

Khedkar - Gentes 1- FKevin did not appear.

Sam Lipnowski - Boron DRAWA lot of manoeuvring; Black was better when the draw was agreed.

Group B

Silva - Pottinger

Observing this game, I thought 28, f4 would just win, but it is tricky as Black gets 3 pawns for his Knight. Silva played differently and eventually won. Unfortunately, the game score gets undreadable just as an interesting ending occurs. If either player has a proper game score, please submit it to Alex Nikouline.

Lauritson - Van Wyk 0-1According to the my engine, White would have had a large advantage if he would have played 19.Nxc6+. 23. Rc7 was a big mistake that left pieces hanging all over.

Group C

Liu - Gannon 1-0Weixi executes a nice minority attack.

Wiebe - Booth 1-0Kevin uncharacteristically blunders a full bishop.

Group D

"Tank" Gibbons - Saul Magnusson 1-0Lorne hung onto a sacrificed pawn and played a nice game to bring home the point.

Gary played 29. Qb1 which is good also and after 29...Nb3, Nxf7 is still there !

The turning oint was Gary's 36. Bh4; Qd1 would held a large advantage.

After 37. Nxc5Les, interestingly, opted for 37...Rxc5+, instead of 37...Qxb3 which wins the Q. He probably was concerned with with ramifications of 38. Re8+, but the computer still gives a win to Black (even though it is Q and 2 pawns for R and two minors) after 38...Kh7 39. Rxc8 Qc3+ 40. Kb1 d3 and the d pawn will win one of the pieces. It is easy to see (now) that both the R and N are virtually paralysed. In the game the outcome was still unclear until Gary blundered his Rook on move 43.

Friday, November 2, 2007

This turned into a wild game.I play through the games without computer assistance first, to get some general impressions and work out some of the tactics. I then play through the game again with an engine running to check my assumptions and to catch any interesting tactics or ideas I may have missed.

Les left a gaping hole on f5 that proved to be source of his difficulties.

After 26...Qe7 27. Nf5 Les could resign immediately, but Joseph played 27. Qa3 and won a few moves later anyway.

Liu - Czypinski 1-0

By move 35 Liu had won a pawn and appeared to have everything under control, but he missed black's 41...Rxg2+ shot and the game is unclear. After a few more moves, we arrive at the position below with Black to move and win:

45...Rg6 wins easily. I understand Black was in time trouble, but somehow had time to calculate (and Play) 45...Rh2 46. Qxh2 Qxf3+ 47. Qg2 Qxd1+ and the result is still not clear.Later, Black also missed 53...Nd3+ and White has to give up his Q to avoid mate. Eventually Black lost on time around move 64.

Oberton - Khedkar 1-0

Jay survived an early cramped position. Daniel could have won the b pawn with 18. Nxb5, but decided to concentrate his efforts in the centre.

In the following position Jay had the right idea, but the wrong move order.

Play continued 24...Qc2+ 25. Ka1 Bxb3 26. Bd3 oops !

But 24... Bxb3 first and Black is perhaps a little better, and much better if White does not play 25. Qxb3.

Kong - Jim Green DRAW

In my eyes, an unusual game; I couldn't predict many of the moves.

Wierda- Silva 1-0

Silva had a very cramped position, and blundered with 19... Nf5. John mopped up efficiently.